Film cartridge with guide finger

ABSTRACT

A cartridge to be loaded with a length of film or other strip material is adapted to be positioned in a sound motion picture camera, projector or other sound recording or reproducing apparatus. The cartridge has an open area across which the strip material extends so that the strip material in this area can cooperate with the sound mechanism of the apparatus. A guide finger is positioned with respect to the open area in the cartridge to contain the strip material within the cartridge body, thereby facilitating insertion of the cartridge into the apparatus.

United States Patent 1 Miller et al.

[ 51 Nov. 13, 1973 FILM CARTRIDGE WITH GUIDE FINGER [54] 472,042 6/1969 Switzerland 352/78 R [75] Inventors: Stephen H. Miller; Archie J. Tucker,

both of Rochester Primary ExaminerSamuel S. Matthews [73] Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company, Assistant ExaminerAlan Mathews Rochester, NY. Att0rney-William H. J. Kline et al.

[22] Filed: May 24, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 256,242

[57] ABSTRACT Cl 352/78 86 242/194 A cartridge to be loaded with a length of film or other [5 int. Cl.f 3b 23/02 Strip material is adapted to be positioned in a Sound [58] red 0 Searc 352/29, 30, 72, 78, motion picture camera projector or other Sound 242/683 cording or reproducing apparatus. The cartridge has an open area across which the strip material extends [56] References 'M so that the strip material in this area can cooperate UNITED STATES PATENTS with the sound mechanism of the apparatus. A guide 3,442,580 5/1969 Winkler 352/72 X finger is positioned with respect to the open area in 3, 6 n ss y t 31-. 5 X the cartridge to contain the strip material within the 5 3 11967 Bogdanowicz 352/29x cartridge body, thereby facilitating insertion of the 3,348,786 10/1967 Miller et a1. 242/682 x cartridge into the apparatus FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 887,613 8/1943 France 352/78 R 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures 260 2 F r, l 32 K i p 30 L "-4 a 1 I \Q D l u I FILM CARTRIDGE WITH GUIDE FINGER CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Reference is made to commonly assigned copending U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 256,552, entitled FILM CARTRIDGE WITH GUIDE FINGER, filed May 24, 1972 in the name of Gerald J. Kosarko.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to cartridges or cassettes of the type adapted to receive and handle an elongate strip of web material and, more specifically, the invention relates to a film cartridge adapted to be positioned in a camera for exposure of the film to scene light and simultaneously for recording of sound onto the film by sound recording apparatus in the camera.

2. Description of the Prior Art Film cartridges are well known, including the socalled super 8 film cartridge which is adapted to receive a roll of unexposed 8 millimeter film and which is positionable in a camera for advancement of the film by a claw or other drive member in the camera to sequentially expose portions of the film strip to scene light. Cartridges of the super 8 type are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,685 issued to E. A. Edwards et al. on Sept. 28, 1965 and entitled, Anti-Friction Disc for Strip Material Cartridge and U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,686 issued to E. A. Edwards et al. on Sept. 28, 1965 entitled, Film Cartridge.

It also is known to modify such super 8 film cartridges to provide for sound recording on the film in the cartridge, such being disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,580, issued to A. Winkler on May 6, 1969 and entitled, Motion Picture Camera or Projector for Film with Sound Track. As disclosed in the latter patent, an intermittent film pull-down mechanism advances film in a frame-by-frame manner past an exposure aperture in the camera, and a capstan drive continuously advances film past a sound recording head spaced from the exposure aperture. The cartridge shown in the Winkler patent includes a second opening or aperture across which the film strip extends and the capstan drive and other sound apparatus in the camera are received in the opening in the cartridge when the cartridge is inserted in the camera so that such apparatus can engage the film in the area of the cartridge opening. Because of the relative width of the second opening with respect to the total width of the cartridge, and in view of the tendency of film to bow outwardly, especially when it is guided around corners, the film strip will tend to bow beyond the perimeter of the cartridge through the opening provided for the sound apparatus in the camera. This is objectionable, particularly when the sound camera and cartridge are to be used by amateur photographers, since the bowed portion of the film strip in the area of the opening for the sound apparatus complicates insertion of the cartridge into the camera and may result in improper position of the film in the camera. For example, the film can become twisted due to improper insertion of film relative to the cartridge chamber or sound apparatus. This is not only quite aggravating but can result in damage to the film and may prevent the recording of sound during filming. The problem is even greater when the opening is large, i.e., extends across an end wall and part of an adjacent side wall.

US. Pat. Nos. 3,348,786 and 3,244,470 show cartridges for tape and film, respectively, wherein spaced openings are provided along a relatively wide edge portion of a cartridge to receive a sound head, etc. Solid portions of the cartridge separate these openings. However, the total width of the edges including the openings is such that the bowing problem referred to above is not encountered or, due to the use of the magnetic tape which is more highly flexible in film, the problem does not occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is the provision of a strip handling device, such as a film cartridge of the type described, wherein a relatively large opening is provided for accommodating sound apparatus in a camera, projector or the like, and wherein undesirable bowing of the film or strip material outside the perimeter of the cartridge and the resulting disadvantages are avoided.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a strip handling cartridge or the like of the type described wherein the cartridge can be easily positioned with respect to cooperating apparatus with little or no skill being required in order to effect correct positioning of the strip material with respect to the apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention a cartridge for strip material has an aperture across which such material projects. The cartridge has a guide member located with respect to such aperture to contain the material within the confines of the cartridge in the area of the aperture.

The invention, and its objects and advantages, will become more apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments presented below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention presented below, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a film cartridge of the invention, partly broken away, and illustrating a portion of a motion picture camera adapted to receive the cartridge;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of the film cartridge'shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cartridge shown in FIGS. 1 and 2',

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary crosssectional views illustrating'in sequence insertion of a cartridge of the invention into a sound camera or the like; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 but showing such a cartridge without the guide finger of the invention and illustrating a difficulty that might occur in the absence of the finger.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT and is adapted to be received in a cartridge compartment or chamber 12 provided in-a suitable camera, a portion of which is shown generally at 14. The cartridge chamber 12 is defined by an inner wall 13, side walls 15 and 16, an upper wall 17, a bottom wall 18 and a door 21 which closes the compartment in a light-tight manner. The camera is provided with a suitable film advancing member, such as a claw (not shown) which projects through wall 16 and is driven in a generally rectilinear path for intermittently advancing film F past an exposure aperture (not shown) in the camera. Wall.

16 preferably is recessed as shown in FIG. 1, and the depth of chamber 12 preferably is substantially equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the cartridge 10. This relationship reduces the possibility that the user will attempt to improperly insert the cartridge into the camera. In the lower wall 18 of the cartridge compartment 12 an opening 19 is provided to admit certain portions of camera apparatus used foreffecting sound recording on the film in the cartridge as it is being exposed to scene light in the camera. This apparatus can include a capstan 20 having a wide groove 20a which receives the film. A movable pressure roller 22 is urged against the capstan so that rotation of the capstan in a clockwise direction effects rotation of the roller. The film engages a segment of the surface of roller 22 so that when the roller is rotated by the capstan the film is advanced from the exposure aperture past a sound head or transducer 23 (FIGS. 4-6) positioned between the capstan and the exposure aperture. A movable pressure member 25 urges the film sound track against the sound head, and a pair of spaced movable film guides 72 at opposite sides of the sound head guide the film between the sound head and member 25. A movable loop sensor 29 can engage the loop of film between the exposure aperture and the sound head, thereby sensing the length of film therebetween. Normally, there should be 18 frames separation between the exposure aperture and the sound head. The loop sensor can be connected to suitable means (not shown) to control the film claw so that the desired separation is maintained within acceptable limits. The camera sound apparatus comprising roller 22, pressure member 25, film guides 72 and sensor 29 are movable by means (not shown) between the positions shown in FIG. 1 wherein they are retracted beneath wall 18 of the cartridge chamber to facilitate loading and unloading of a cartridge into the camera and an engaged position (not shown) wherein they are located for recording of sound onto the film.

The movable sound apparatus is received into the cartridge through an aperture 24 in one side 26 and the adjacent end 27 of the cartridge, the other side 28 and the ends 30 and 32 of the cartridge being substantially closed so that other parts of the cartridge are lighttight. Wall 28 of the cartridge and end walls 30 and 32 extend below the aperture 24. As shown in FIG. 1, end wall 32 of the cartridge has an exposure aperture 34 therein through which the film is exposed to scene light. A notch 31 in wall 32 cooperates with a pin 31a on wall 16 of the cartridge chamber for locating a cartridge in a camera as explained later. The portion of the cartridge above wall 35 that defines the top of aperture 24 preferably is substantially the same as the film cartridge disclosed in the beforementioned Edwards et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,685 and 3,208,686, the disclosure of such patents being incorporated herein by this reference.

The film is guided through the cartridge from a supply chamber (not shown) inside wall 28., past aperture 34, then around a substantially 90 bend and across aperture 24, around a snubber 37 and then into the takeup chamber in the cartridge that is inside wall 26. The film is not rigidly held against movement prior to insertion into the cartridge so the film can occupy a range of positions across aperture 24 (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). Of course, the tendency of the film to bow from aperture 24 is increased when the film is slack across aperture 24. After the film passes the capstan 20 and enters the take-up chamber it is wound onto a take-up core 36 located in the take-up chamber of the cartridge and partially exposed at the exterior of the cartridge. As is well known in the art, the take-up core 36 preferably operates in connection with a suitable anti-backup device to prevent clockspringing of the film roll in the cartridge. For a sound cartridge of the type disclosed herein it is preferred that the anti-backup mechanism be disengageable to eliminate any clicking noise that may be associated with operation of such a device. Therefor the anti-backup mechanism preferably is of the type disclosed in the copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 229,924, filed Feb. 28, 1972 in the name of Archie J. Tucker and entitled Disengageable Anti- Backup Device for Film Cartridge, such application having been refiled as Continuation-in-Part U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 323,019 on Jan. 12, 1973, a portion of which is illustrated at 38 in FIG. 1. The antibackup mechanism may be disengaged automatically by a pin 39 projecting from wall 13 of the camera. The take-up core 36 can be driven in a conventional manner through a friction clutch bya suitable drive member 40 projecting into chamber-12 from the inner wall 13 of the cartridge chamber.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, a shroud 42 projects into cartridge compartment 12 from wall 13 of the camera. The shroud is positioned approximately midway between walls 15 and 16 and is adjacent to, but spaced from, wall 18 of the camera. The fiat upper surface 42a of the shroud is substantially parallel to the top wall 17 of the cartridge chamber and is spaced from that wall of the chamber so that a conventional (i.e., silent) super 8 film cartridge of the type disclosed in the beforementioned Edwards et al. patents can be inserted into cartridge chamber 12 and positioned between the shroud and wall 17. As explained in more detail later, surface 42a is positioned immediately beneath the wall 35 of the'sound cartridge 10 when the latter is inserted into the cartridge chamber.

The outermost edge surface 42b of the shroud is substantially parallel to the. inner wall 13 of the cartridge chamber and perpendicular to surface 42a. A bevelled surface 420 on the shroud tapers inwardly from the lower edge of surface 42b toward camera wall 13 and the lower wall 18 of the cartridge chamber. The shroud includes an undercut portion 42d between the bevelled surface and wall 13. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the sound head 23 is located within the confines of the recess or undercut portion 42d of the shroud. Thus during insertion of the cartridge 10 into the camera the portion of the film F extending across aperture 24 must be moved through the space between the lower edge of bevelled surface 420 and wall 18 so that it can be urged upwardly into contact with the sound head by the pressure member and other of the movable portions of the sound apparatus as they are moved from their retracted position shown in FIG. 1 upwardly into engagement with the lower surface of the film strip.

As best shown in FIGS. 1-3, aperture 24 begins in wall 27 near the end wall 32 of the cartridge and extends a major portion of the distance between that end wall and wall of the cartridge. Also, it extends from wall 28 entirely across the bottom wall 27 of the cartridge and then upwardly along wall 26 to the wall defining the bottom of the take-up chamber of the cartridge. Thus the aperture 24 leaves the major portion of the bottom of the cartridge open not only across wall 27 of the cartridge but also upwardly along wall 26 thereof. As a result, an exposed length of the film strip extends across aperture 24 of the cartridge. There is a tendency for the film strip to project beyond the perimeter of the cartridge through the aperture due to the fact that film is relatively stiff (even though it is also flexible) and it resists the bending necessarily encountered as it travels first along wall 32 and then along wall 27 and across aperture 24. This tendency is encouraged by the size of the aperture 24, i.e., it extends across the major portion of the bottom wall 27 of the cartridge. In other words, the configuration of the cartridge requires a substantially 90 bend in the film at the intersection of walls 27 and 32, and the inherent stiffness of the film opposes this bending even though the film is sufficiently flexible to permit such bending. If the film were permitted to project through aperture 24 and below the surface of wall 27, then correct insertion of the cartridge into the camera would be quite difficult since it would be necessary to manually push the film back up into aperture 24 at the same time the cartridge is being moved inwardly into the cartridge chamber to bring cartridge wall 26 up against wall 13 and to bring the unenclosed portion of the film strip that extends across aperture 24 into the space below shroud 42 and above camera wall 18. Such manipulation would be difficult, particularly for amateurs, and failure to properly position the film during loading can result in damage to the film, etc. In accordance with the present invention, this potential difficulty is avoided by the provision of a guide finger 46 which projects from the lower edge of wall 28 of the cartridge across the aperture 24 at a point substantially midway between the ends of the aperture in wall 27. The lower surface of finger 46 is substantially coplanar with wall 27 of the cartridge and its thickness is substantially equal to the thickness of wall 27 so that the inner surface thereof is substantially in line with the inner surface of wall 27. As best illustrated in FIG. 3, the length of finger 46 is somewhat less than the width of wall 27, and it has been found in practice that objectionable bowing of the film through aperture 24 beyond the periphery of wall 27 can be avoided by making finger 46 sufficiently long to extend across approximately one-half of the width of the film. Finger 46 not only prevents the bowing of the film as noted hereinbefore but also helps guide the film into its loaded position inv the-camera.

As shown in FIG. 3, the outermost end of finger 46 is spaced from the inner surface 26a of wall 26 of the cartridge by a distance less than one half the width of the film. Thus surface 260 of wall 26 limits sideward movement of the film relative to the cartridge in a direction which would permit the side edge thereof to extend beyond the outermost end of the finger 46 (i.e., the end opposite from wall 28).

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, during insertion of the sound cartridge 10 into the chamber 12 of the camera, the cartridge is positioned generally as shown in FIG. 1 but with the wall 26 facing wall 13 of the camera and inclined with respect to that wall so that the cartridge wall 32 is nearer wall 13 than is the cartridge wall 30. The cartridge should be generally aligned with chamber 12 so that the cartridge will fit within walls 17 and 18 of the chamber. At this time the portion of the aperture 24 in wall 26 of the cartridge is substantially aligned with the shroud 42a as shown in FIG. 4. Then the cartridge is moved inwardly into the cartridge chamber with the edge portion of cartridge defined by end wall 32 and side wall 28 contacting the camera wall 16 first. Cartridge wall 32 is moved toward camera wall 16 until notch'3l receives locating pin 31a on wall 16 of the camera. The cartridge is then swung into its fullyloaded position in the camera (FIG. 5) by bringing end wall 30 of the cartridge into the cartridge chamber until cartridge wall 26 is flush against the camera wall 13.

As the insertion of the cartridge proceeds in the manner described in the preceding paragraph, finger 46 of the invention prevents bowing of the film below cartridge wall 27, thereby facilitating proper insertion of the cartridge into the camera without damage to the film. Also, the finger tends to guide the film into its proper position beneath the shroud and sound head 23 because the film is resting against the inner surface of the finger and therefore moves downwardly and inwardly with the finger in a manner shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 6 illustrates one difficulty that might be encountered in the event a cartridge such as shown at 10 did not include the guide finger 46. This figure illustrates the film bowed outwardly through aperture 34 so that it extends below the surface of wall 27 in the cartridge, a condition which could easily exist in cartridges of the type described. If the cartridge were to be inserted in the camera in the manner just described, the film could engage a surface 51 on the camera adjacent the car'- tridge chamber 12 and fail to enter the chamber in a way which will properly locate it beneath sound head 53. The condition shown in FIG. 6 requires manual pushing of the film back into the aperture for proper insertion into the camera. It is unlikely that camera operators especially amateurs, would remember to take this precaution each time a cartridge is inserted into the camera. Moreover, this operation, is made somewhat difficult by the fact that aperture 24 opens only through the end wall 27 and side wall 26 of the cartridge which faces the camera during insertion of the cartridge. This means that the film would have to be blindly held in place during cartridge insertion. If the film were pushed too far into the aperture it could engage the shroud 42 in a way which would cause twisting of the film so that it abuts up against the surface 42b of the shroud. This would result either in breaking of the film or failure to record sound of the film during operation of the camera.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can'be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a cartridge for handling a strip of film, the cartridge having first and second side walls and having first, second and third end walls between the side walls, means defining (1) an exposure aperture in the first end wall and (2) a separate sound aperture in the second end wall and the first side wall, the cartridge having means defining a path for the strip of film through the cartridge (1) along the first end wall past the exposure aperture and then along the second end walland across the sound aperture, the path defining means effecting bends in the film adjacent the ends of the sound aperture in the second end wall so that the film tends to project outwardly of the cartridge through the sound aperture, the cartridge being positionable in a camera having (1) film advancing means engageable with film in the cartridge through the exposure aperture and (2) sound apparatus engageable with film in the cartridge through the sound aperture for advancing the film through the cartridge and recording sound onto the film, the improvement comprising:

a film guide finger connected to the second side wall and projecting toward the first side wall, the guide finger extending at least partially across the sound aperture between the ends of the aperture and being separated from the first side wall, the guide finger being positioned with respect to the film path across the sound aperture (1) to limit outward bowing of the film through the sound aperture and (2) to guide the film into position with respect to camera sound apparatus during insertion of the cartridge into a camera, the finger being sufficiently long to underlie at least half the width of the film path across the sound aperture, the surface of the finger facing the path for film being substantially coplanar with the second end wall.

4 Patent No.

I Inventofls) Col.6 line 36',

line 45," "53" Col. 6, line 51,

C01. line 52, v

(SEAL) Attefitr MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. Attesting Officer FORM PO-1OS0 (10-6 9) V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Stephen H. Miller. Archie J. Tucker 7 Q It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby -corrected as shown below:

after the period, insert Parts of the cartridge shown in Fig. 6 are designated 7 by the same reference numerals used in Figs. 1-5 except a prime has been to distinguish the Fig. 6 cartridge.-

should he should be should be should he should be Figure 6 should include the numeral -e-27" together line directed to "the bottom wallof cartridge 10? located by the line immediately above the letter "F" in figure 6.

Signed. and sealed this 24t day of December 1974.

Dated 11-13-72 with a lead This wall is e.- MARSHALL DANN eCommissioner of Patents I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 CERTIFICATE OF CURRECTION Patent No. 3,771,864 Dated 11-13-72 l t fl S tephen H. Miller? Archie .J. Tucker It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 6, line 36, after the period, insert Parts of the A cartridge shown in Fig. 6,-are designated by the same reference numerals used in Figs. 1-5 except a prime has been used to distinguish the Fig. 6 cartridge.

co1. 6, line '37, "34'? ,shouldloe 5- 24'v Col. 6, line 38, "27" shou1d be 27* Col. 6, line 45, "53" should be 23 Col. 6, line 51, "24 should be 24' Col.'6, line 52,."27" should be 27f Col. 6,-line52 "26" should be 26 Figure 6 should include the numeral -t--27' together with a lead line directed to the bottom wall ofi cartridge 10? This wall is located by the line immediately above the letter "F" in figure 6.

Signed. and sealed this 24th day of December 1974.

(SEAL) Attest v i g i M600 M. GIBSON JR. c.- MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer 1 Y fiommissioner of Patents 1 FORM P0405) (10-59) 1 d uscoMM-Dc 60376-P69 w uls. GOVERNMENT Pnm'nm; OFFICE was o-ass-ssa. 

1. In a cartridge for handling a strip of film, the cartridge having first and second side walls and having first, second and third end walls between the side walls, means defining (1) an exposure aperture in the first end wall and (2) a separate sound aperture in the second end wall and the first side wall, the cartridge having means defining a path for the strip of film through the cartridge (1) along the first end wall past the exposure aperture and then along the second end wall and across the sound aperture, the path defining means effecting bends in the film adjacent the ends of the sound aperture in the second end wall so that the film tends to project outwardly of the cartridge through the sound aperture, the cartridge being positionable in a camera having (1) film advancing means engageable with film in the cartridge through the exposure aperture and (2) sound apparatus engageable with film in the cartridge through the sound aperture for advancing the film through the cartridge and recording sound onto the film, the improvement comprising: a film guide finger connected to the second side wall and projecting toward the first side wall, the guide finger extending at least partially across the sound aperture between the ends of the aperture and being separated from the first side wall, the guide finger being positioned with respect to the film path across the sound aperture (1) to limit outward bowing of the film through the sound aperture and (2) to guide the film into position with respect to camera sound apparatus during insertion of the cartridge into a camera, the finger being sufficiently long to underlie at least half the width of the film path across the sound aperture, the surface of the finger facing the path for film being substantially coplanar with the second end wall. 